KUSADASI AND EPHESUS, TURKEY: THE WONDERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD!

November 1, 2026
Kusadasi, Turkey
Day 27/50
71F, cloudy

Kusadasi, Turkey welcomed us!

Thank you for hanging in with us!  Turkey is a little more exotic than other ports, and I have never visited. TK's ship was in Izmir, Turkey once, but the sailors were not allowed off.  So in reality, this is his first time "touching the ground."  That period, from 1968-1972, was marked by significant social, political, and cultural changes.  There may have been anti-American sentiment at the time.

Turkey's flag and an image of Kemal Ataturk

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (1881-1938) is arguably the most famous person in Turkey. He served as president of Turkey for 15 years (from 1923 until he died in 1938) and is credited with creating the Republic of Turkey (aka modern Turkey) after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire after World War I.

As the founding father of modern Turkey,  and the first President of the Turkish Republic, Atatürk made several significant reforms, such as making primary education compulsory and free and reforming the language from the traditional Arabic script to the Latin alphabet.

Kuşadası has a resident population of around 137,000 people, which swells to over half a million during the summer tourist season. It is a coastal resort town on the Aegean coast of Turkey. The port is famous for its beaches, marina, and vibrant nightlife and serves as the primary cruise port for travelers visiting the nearby ancient city of Ephesus.  Obviously, we are not taking part in the night life. 

 

Pomegranate tree

Pomegranates for sale!

A cruise shipmate arranged a tour with Ephesus Shuttle Tours a few months ago. (https://www.ephesusshuttle.com/) Our tour guide, Melih, was excellent.  He was waiting for us as we disembarked the ship, the van was roomy and comfortable, and there were only 11 of us. [Cost: $110/pp]

 

Mehil told us interesting facts about Turkey, known for its fish industry, wine, marble industry, and rug making.  Istanbul has a population of 3 million residents. It is the only city in the world that rests on two continents, Asia and Europe. Ankara is the capital.  Turkey’s population is about 87 million. 

 

Turkey is a great source of marble, onyx, alabaster, and travertine, and many kitchen countertop materials all over the world come from Turkey. 

 

Along the way we saw many olive trees, so nicely cultivated on hillsides and flatlands. Mehil said there were about 180 million olive trees farmed in Turkey.  Olive trees take about 10 years to mature but live 600-2000 years old.  Other agricultural endeavors include tobacco, grapes (for raisins-biggest customers-Australia, New Zealand, and Russia), mulberry trees for silk, and cotton for their weaving.  Mehil also mentioned that Turkey has the finest, softest leather—used by Fendi, Gucci, Chanel, etc.—the highest quality lambskin. 

The bus was speeding by, but all

those tufty looking clumps are 

olive trees--all over the mountain

Our first stop was Sirince, a historic hillside village near Ephesus with a population of about 450 people. This small, picturesque village was originally a Greek Orthodox village until the population exchange between Greece and Turkey in 1923.  Many of the original stone houses remain.  It was a delight to stroll around, and TK and I tried the coffee in a small café in the bazaar area.  

One area of the bazaar

Demetrius of Ephesus gold shop

The owner made many pieces

for the movie Troy

Welcome to Sirince!

Barista!

The “barista” prepared small cups of liquid and placed them in a drum like basin with sand. She said to wait two minutes for the coffee to heat.  The coffee was much milder than I expected. After we finished with the petite coffee, she gave us an even smaller cup of a mixture of coffee, cream, hazelnut, and pureed dates. It was thick and delicious.  I don’t know the name!

Our coffee, water, and candies

Another cafe in the bazaar

Street area

Schoolhouse, now a museum

Look at what I found!

Zultanite 

Zultanite is a gem variety of the mineral diaspore, mined in southwest Turkey in the Ibir Mountains at an elevation of over 4,000 feet.  First discovered in the 1980s, it has a hardness of 6.5 to 7 on the Moh Scale.  I did not buy.

I did not want to break with my blog tradition--I crossed this barrier long ago. This was the toilet at Sirince for 1 euro (I did not have Turkish money). Add a shower head and this could be the "bathroom" in the first apartment I lived in while studying in France in 1967-1968.  

no title needed

EPHESUS

In a short while we were in the area of Ephesus, located roughly 20 minutes (11 miles) inland and north of Kuşadası.  Founded by Ionians around the first millennium BCE century BC, Ephesus later became a massive Roman metropolis and the capital of the Roman province of Asia. At its peak in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, it had a population of 200,000 to 250,000 people and was one of the largest cities in the Mediterranean world.

 

Near the entrance

The groove is called a canal--

lead was poured into the canal and a 

rod was affixed in the center

to "glue" 2 pieces of the column 

together

Detail of top of a column

Close up

Just to show you the crowds

This was a library!

Library of Celsus

The Library of Celsus is considered an architectural marvel and is one of the few remaining examples of great libraries of the ancient world.  It was the third-largest library in the Greco-Roman World behind only those of Alexandria and Pergamum, and is believed to have held around 12,000 scrolls.  Celsus himself is buried in a crypt beneath the library in a decorated marble sarcophagus.  

The interior of the library and its contents were destroyed in a fire that resulted either from an earthquake or a Gothic invastion in 262 CE, and the façade by an earthquake in the 10^th or 11^th century. It lay in ruins for centuries until the façade was re-erected by archaeologists between 1970 and 1978. 

Detail/Library

Detail above a column/library

TK near the Library

Latin inscription/Library

Both Agrippa and Caesar mentioned

--helps date

The Grand Theater of Ephesus is still used today

--about 25,000 people

It is said that the Apostle Paul lived and preached there, and the Epistle to the Ephesians in the New Testament is addressed to its Christian community.  He was a tentmaker here.   According to tradition, John the Apostle spent his final years in Ephesus, and the Gospel of John may have been written there.

What happened to Ephesus?  Over centuries, the harbor silted up due to natural sedimentation, cutting the city off from the sea. Combined with earthquakes, invasions, and shifting trade routes, Ephesus gradually declined and was eventually abandoned.  Mehil told us the city was never lost, people knew where it was but it wasn’t until 1863 that the British museum sponsored the archaeological research.  It was uncovered in many layers, up to 20 feet deep!

Currently Austrian archeologists are “excavating” Ephesus. As the story in Greece about the Parthenon, many important artifacts are now in Britain and other countries. 

Ephesus is also famous for its nearby Temple of Artemis, which had a major role in early Christianity.  Ephesus later became one of the most important urban centers of the Roman Empire, serving as the capital of the Roman province of Asia. Its location near the Aegean coast made it a hub for trade, culture, and political power.

 

This is what remains of the Temple of Artemis

After Ephesus we stopped briefly at the Temple of Artemis, not far away. The Temple of Artemis is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and drew pilgrims, merchants, and artisans from across the Mediterranean.  Melih cautioned us not to be disappointed.  Originally the temple was 400 x 200 feet wide with 27 columns.  One marble pillar remains—put together from ruins by the archaeologists.

Then Mehil pointed to the hill behind the Temple. He showed us a castle, a Catholic church, and a Mosque, all made from “recycled marble” FROM THE TEMPLE OF ARTEMIS:

Basilica of St. John (Catholic Church): 6^th century AD
Ayasuluk (Selçuk) Castle: 5^th century AD
Isa Bey Mosque: 1375 AD

 

A castle, a mosque, and a Catholic church made of 
marble from the Temple of Artemis

Back at the port of Kusadasi, we walked to Starbucks for a Kusadasi mug.  That was a busy big day!

TK at the Starbucks in Kusadasi

 

Our new cup!

Street vendor selling sweet corn on the cob!

TK's Takes:  The many cats amuse him. There were lots of dogs running loose, too, but they do not pester people. He said that in every country but Turkey the stop signs say STOP

This cat found a comfortable spot

In Turkey STOP signs say DUR!

Tonight we have another time change---THE TENTH ONE on this trip!! Thank goodness we turn the clock back an hour, but tomorrow is another big day starting at 6 a.m.  

ATHENS, GREECE: A CITY WITH GRACE AND THE PARTHENON / TWENTY TONS OF MARBLE, EVEN MORE HISTORY!

 Saturday, October 31, 2026

Day 26/50
Port of Piraeus, Athens, Greece
70F, cloudy

 

TK and Janie at the Parthenon

This was a significant day--I never imagined that I would actually see the Parthenon!  Dear Readers, I hope you can stick with me as I tell you about such a marvel, and you may see what I mean!

The Island Princess arrived in Piraeus about 7 a.m., and we immediately headed for our Princess tour bus to see several significant sites in Athens.  Piraeus, known as an important Greek shipping port, is a suburb of Athens.  As we traveled the seven miles through city streets, Christina, our tour guide, started telling us interesting information.

Port of Piraeus

Peace and Friendhip Stadium

We passed by the Peace and Friendship Stadium  (Στάδιο Ειρήνης και Φιλίας, SEF), a multi‑purpose indoor arena in Piraeus, Greece, inaugurated in 1985 and best known as the home of Olympiacos BC basketball.

A part of Athens

Athens is the capital and largest city of Greece, with a city proper population of about 643,000 and a wider metropolitan population of over 3 million people.  It is one of the world’s oldest inhabited cities, with a recorded history spanning over 3,400 years. It is known as the birthplace of democracy and western philosophy. 

 

Athens is the home to ancient iconic sites, most notably the Acropolis of Athens and the Parthenon. It serves as the primary economic, cultural, and political center of Greece and hosted the Olympic Games in 1896 and 2004.

 

Christina also mentioned some other facts while we were on the bus ride:

• English has over 45,000 Greek words!
• Greece includes 277 inhabited islands, 2000 islands overall
• 30% of the people make a living through tourism
• Agriculture is important, especially olives. Around 50-60% of Greek olive oil is exported, much of it historically shipped to Italy in bulk.  Greece is consistently among the top three global producers, often ranking third after Spain and Italy.
• Greece mines gold, producing roughly 2.1 tons per year in recent years
• 90% of Greeks are Orthodox

 

Just one more:  Christina mentioned Pentelic marble, a famous white marble quarried from Mount Pentelicus near Athens and used extensively in ancient Greek architecture.  The ancient quarry is protected by law and today is used exclusively for the Acropolis Restoration Project.  Pentelic marble is known for its pure white color with a famous golden tinge caused by iron particles within the stone.  Over 20,000 tons of Pentelic marble were used in constructing the Parthenon.

Shortly after that, the Parthenon came into view.  It is heart-stopping, perched on a hill, so proudly representing its former glory as a symbol of Greece.

First glimpse of the Parthenon atop the Acropolis

To do the Parthenon justice, I felt the need to provide a brief history of the national symbol of Greece.  I can’t help myself.

 

First though, Christina explained what the Acropolis is: “Acro” means highest point, and “polis” means city-state. The Acropolis in Athens is a monumental ancient citadel on a rocky hill above the city, best known for the Parthenon and its central role in classical Greek civilization.

The Parthenon began as a 5th‑century BCE temple to Athena on the Acropolis of Athens and has since passed through phases as a church, mosque, ruin, and modern symbol of Greek cultural heritage.  It was constructed during the leadership of Pericles, at the height of Athens’ political and cultural power.

So proudly it stands!

Built as a Doric temple dedicated to Athena Parthenos, the city’s patron deity, its purpose was both religious and civic: to honor Athena and to display Athenian wealth and artistic achievement.

Ionic column detail

Details above the columns on the Parthenon

Under Roman rule, the Parthenon remained an active temple, but by the 5th century CE, as Christianity spread through the empire, the Parthenon was converted into a Christian church, first dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

During the Byzantine period, the Parthenon became one of the most important churches in Athens.  After the Ottoman conquest in the 15th century, it was transformed again—this time into a mosque, complete with a minaret.  Despite these changes, the building remained largely intact until the late 17th century.

In 1687, during a Venetian siege of Ottoman-held Athens, the Parthenon—used as a gunpowder store—was struck by artillery fire. The resulting explosion destroyed much of the roof and central structure. Many sculptures were damaged or lost.

In the early 1800s, large portion of the surviving sculptures were removed and transported to Britain.  Their removal remains a major cultural and diplomatic controversy.

After Greece gained independence, the Parthenon became a national symbol. Extensive restoration efforts began in the 20th century and continue today, focusing on stabilizing the structure and preserving remaining sculptures.  It is now one of the world’s most recognized monuments of classical architecture, symbolizing democracy, cultural achievement, and Greek identity.

TK along with me and about 40 others in our group trudged up the hill (Acropolis) about 50 miles (we were told it was 150-200 stair steps to reach the Parthenon).  The stairs and walkways in between are marble, mostly no handrails, and it all started to be a bit overwhelming at one point for someone who is not fond of heights.  We made it!

The marble walkway to the top

This was the easy part 

Erechtheion

Erechtheion, very near the Parthenon on the Acropolis in Athens, with the famous Porch of the Maidens is supported by sculpted female columns called caryatids.

Different views of the Odeon

The Odeon of Herodes Atticus (Greek: Ωδείο Ηρώδου του Αττικού) is a stone Greek theater that lies on the southwest slope of the Acropolis, near the Parthenon. It is used today and has a seating capacity of about 5,000 people.

One of the oldest Byzantine Churches in Athens

The Church of Panagia Kapnikarea is the Byzantine church built in 1050 AD and a hotel was built right around it.

Front of the Byzantine Church

Athens Starbucks

TK at Raya's

Margharita pizza

After dinner the server gave us these lovely

shots of Ouzo, a gift. Sadly, we had to say

no thank you

Raya's

We observed this bakery for at least an hour-

there was a constant line of patrons

Olympic Stadium

Our parting view of the Parthenon

We finished the tour spending an hour and a half in Old Town Athens and the Plaka.  I sure loved that area.   We returned to the ship about 2:30 p.m. This was one of the best tours we have had on Princess.  We truly enjoyed Athens! 

 TK's Takes:  Too many steps up the hill. Didn't see many cats. Paid $5 for a small cup of coffee while Janie shopped. Set alarm clocks forward an hour AGAIN.

Where are we?

On our way to Kusadasi...

and one hour forward AGAIN...